Love at Sea (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 8

Tyler and Buck seemed to materialise out of thin air. Finnick hadn't even noticed them move from the other side of the room before he noticed them standing by him, a few steps behind his chair.

The whole room had erupted into chaos with Peeta's interview.

Questions and demands were being aimlessly thrown around the room.

From everyone except the victors. Whilst the others were questioning the reliability of Peeta's warning, the victors weren't. They knew first-hand the viciousness of the Capitol. Of Snow.

"Shut up!" Haymitch's yell broke through the noise and everyone's eyes fell on him. "It's not some big mystery! The boy's telling us we're about to be attacked. Here. In Thirteen."

"How would he have that information?" "Why should we trust him?" "How do you know?" rang out from various sceptics.

"They're beating him bloody while we speak. What more do you need? Katniss, help me out here!" Haymitch desperately turned to the girl beside Finnick, looking for some support.

Katniss' eyes were blown wide, still in shock at seeing the boy she cared so deeply about abused like that. "Haymitch's right. I don't know where Peeta got the information. Or if it's true. But he believes it is. And they're..." she trailed off, her eyes filling with tears.

Finnick reached his hand out under the table and squeezed her hand. It wouldn't be long until Katniss finally figured out the real reason Snow took Peeta and Taiya.

"You don't know him," Haymitch turned to Coin. "We do. Get your people ready."

Coin didn't seem overly alarmed, confused was more accurate. She tapped her finger against the control board in front of her a couple of times before she took a breath and turned to address the room. "Of course, we have prepared for such a scenario. Although we have decades of support for the assumption that further direct attacks on Thirteen would be counterproductive to the Capitol's cause. Nuclear missiles would release radiation into the atmosphere, with incalculable environmental results. Even routine bombing could badly damage our military compound, which we know they hope to regain. And of course, they invite a counterstrike. It is conceivable that, given our current alliance with the rebels, those would be viewed as acceptable risks."

"You think so?" Haymitch asked. The subtle irony of his comment was lost on the residents of Thirteen, but all the victors had to drop their heads slightly to hide their smirks.

"I do. At any rate, we're overdue for a Level Five security drill," Coin nodded. "Let's proceed with the lockdown," she began to type on her keyboard.

That's when the alarms started. Finnick hadn't partaken in any of the other drills that'd taken place whilst they'd been in Thirteen. Patients were usually allowed to remain in the hospital, but this one he had to follow.

The alarm was jolting to the system. Wordless, eardrum piercing, fear-inducing.

Boggs gestured for him, Katniss, Tyler and Buck to follow. They followed him along the hall to a doorway that led to a wide stairway that streams of people were already hurrying down. It was an orderly flow of people. No one yelled or pushed. Flight after flight, they descended silently, it wasn't worth speaking, no words would be heard over the roar of the alarm.

As they reached the bottom, Boggs grabbed Finnick's arm and waved it under the scanner, nodding for the others to follow suit. This was no doubt to take their attendance, and make sure everyone was accounted for.

"Report to the area that matches your assigned quarters," Boggs instructed before hurrying off to the underground command centre.

"Come on," Tyler tapped Finnick's shoulder slightly, leaving Katniss to talk to Plutarch who had just arrived. "You're compartment O. Do you want one of us to come with you? I haven't been moved out of compartment S yet, even though technically I'm bunking in compartment D with Buck, but I'm sure they can make another exception and one of us can stay with you?"